The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds

Rembrandt dramatizes the biblical story of the angel announcing Christ’s birth by contrasting dense shadow with brilliant light. The glow that emanates from the barely outlined dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, highlights the reaction of the shepherds and their animals below. Shocked by the angel’s sudden appearance in the dark night, the sheep and cattle tumble over each other, mirroring the playful chaos of the putti in the clouds. Despite the angel’s reassuring gesture, the shepherds are just as frightened as their livestock and flee or fall backwards in their haste.

The small scale of the herdsmen within the deep, expansive landscape emphasizes the significance of the scene. Although Rembrandt’s tonal range imitates his paintings, his use of the etching needle is more sketchy and spontaneous than many of his works done in oil paint. Rembrandt was also inspired by other media, working “back to front” like an engraver by finishing the dark areas of the background before developing the light sources and figures. 

As is typical in his religious artworks, Rembrandt brings out the emotion behind the biblical stories, emphasizing the human and animal reactions to the angel’s proclamation. To further add to the realism and relatability of the scene, Rembrandt includes local cows amongst the sheep actually mentioned in the Bible.

This impression was likely pulled from the third and final state of Rembrandt’s etched plate. In the first state, the sky and foreground are left unfinished, while the second state includes the date and artist’s signature. Finally, in the third state, Rembrandt added touches of shading to the tree trunk, the central shepherd, and the wings of the angel. He also likely wiped the plate cleaner when printing the third state, transforming the inky appearance of the sky in the first state into the detailed background seen here.

Written by Sara Kunin, edited by Simone Edgar Holmes

Bibliography

Ackley, Clifford S. Printmaking in the Age of Rembrandt. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts Boston, 1981.

Andres, Glenn. “The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds.” Middlebury College Museum of Art. Accessed June 24, 2020. https://museumcollections-middlebury-edu.ezproxy.middlebury.edu/objects/218/the-angel-appearing-to-the-shepherds?ctx=0acdf70acf4f7de4fbdeb5132dab68d8dbf083c4&idx=8. 

Lugt, Frits. “Motte-Fouquet, Heinrich Friedrich de la: L.778.” Frits Lugt, Les Marques de Collections de Dessins & d’Estampes. Accessed June 24, 2020. http://www.marquesdecollections.fr/detail.cfm/marque/6597/total/1. 

Rijksmuseum. “The Annunciation to the Shepherds, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1634.” Accessed June 24, 2020. https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/RP-P-1962-19.